The First Love series takes a look at how different individuals in The Voice community keep Christ the first love of their lives. Meet: Janiece Valentine and Christopher Mercado, who are engaged.

Placing Jesus at the center of our lives means this one thing:

1. He’s the foundation of our relationship. It’s the most important thing to us, it’s probably the main reason we got together.

How did the chemistry come to be between the two of you?

I think the chemistry was there for the both of us from the start. The conversation flowed naturally. We had a lot in common, both spiritually and with our families. When we talked about our goals and aspirations for life, we both seemed to be heading in the same direction.

 Describe engaging with family, friendships, and other relationships and how people respond to you being a couple who follows Christ?

We both love people, so adapting to both our families and friends wasn’t a real struggle. We’re extremely blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives. We couldn’t have asked for anything more than that.

 Does singleness equal loneliness?

I (Janiece) don’t believe singleness equals loneliness. Loneliness is something many people feel regardless if you’re single or not.

 What is your advice to anyone waiting, or waiting to pursue?

Be patient and trust God’s timing. That’s not always our favorite answer to hear, but speaking from experience, you’ll save yourself from a lot of heartache and wasted time chasing something that God’s hasn’t prepared for you yet.